The Lone Bench Initiative

Join us on Saturday, August 26 at 12 pm CST/6 pm BST for an engaging conversation on eating disorders in the Muslim world and the Muslim community with Nadia Shabir () and The Lone Bench Initiative ().

Eating disorders are a problem outside of the West and it’s important to recognize this and begin to provide support in these nations as well.

Islam and Eating disorders is a blog that spreads awareness about eating disorders in Muslims and The Lone Bench Initiative is the only 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States that focuses on eating disorders in the Muslim community.

Repost from . Join Nadia Shabir and .ua_de to learn more about the affects of war and conflict on mental health and eating disorders. Daria fled war in Ukraine and is currently residing in Western Europe.

Traumatic life events are important risk factors for eating disorders (ED). War has been associated, in military populations, with an increased post-service incidence of ED. Additionally, a modification of eating behavior (EB) related to stress during wartime may increase the risk of developing an ED later on among civilians and those exposed to war stress during adulthood.

Please note this Live will be talking about the personal experiences of Daria and Nadia living in times where the conflicts and atrocities have escalated in many parts of the world. We are not a political forum and we are not here to promote or support any party. Please take into consideration that people suffering from eating disorders do hail from and do have connections to these war zone areas. All these events have a profound impact on mental health and trigger the vicious cycle of many mental health problems from eating disorders to anxiety to fear.

This Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Love Your Body Week, we’re collaborating with Body Positive Alliance to talk about the intersection between the body positive movement and eating disorder prevention.

To the individuals whose eating disorders tell them that changing their body is the path to acceptance, to the adolescents that can now be “ethically” discriminated against by their physicians for their size, to the countless fat people who are hated and shamed simply for existing, and to everyone who is told by the ones around them that their worth depends on the size of their body…remember this.